The Opelousas courier. [volume] (Opelousas, La.) 1852-1910, 1887-04-30
Two Mares, NESTS.


Emery, and not the reformers, are the
naughty boys who flung the first
brick = and prematnrely opened the
State campaign. In support of its
startling allegation it publishes with q
great flourish of trumpets a circular ad-
dressed to friends of the administration
soliciting an expression of opinion as to
the advisability of requesting Gov. Nc.
Emery to stand for re-election-said
circular being dated Jan. %, 1857, sew
eral months after the campaign for
Governor had been opened by our
friends, the reformers. Turn to your
files, Mr.. Times, and read what the re-
form press was saying in October,
November and December, 1856, and
yon will find that the charge that the
self-styled reformers prematurely open
ed the campaign is abundantly proven.
Tote fair, neighbor, tote fair.
Not to be ontdone by its reform
friend, the Ouachita Telegraph started
out ON voyage of discovery and was
rewarded with rich find. 1t an
nounced 10 it's issue of April % that
Mr.. Rutland, lawyer at Baton Rouge,
was being paid "sone-h half the school
funds for collecting tile other half ~
a discovery which, it correctly says,
!. is enough to strike one dumb with
amazement and grief" Our friend was
not struck dumb, however, for he pro-
ceeded to say:
The free school fund is 81, ,I38, ,S67 81. The
interest thereon from January LIST, 1880, at
per cent, would be $273, ,324, to be appor'
! toned and paid to the several townships IN
| the State entitled TO same under the act OF
Congress referred to- It seems that this in
| terest has been allowed to accumulate, un-
known, as it were, to the officials of the state,
/ until bright idea struck an enterprising law
1 yer to collect it from the State officials for the
several townships entitled TO it. As has been
shown this lawyer charged only the modest
fee of one-half of the amount collected for his
services 1T he has been successful in collect
ing the whole his fee amounts to only $780,
Coz. Has the mantle of black Radical cor.
ruption fallen upon the Democracy OF Louisi-
aua7 o, shame! shame.
As soon as we read of this terrible
condition of affairs we called upon Mi.
G. N. EaIer, late President of our School
! Board, a gentleman thoroughly posted
in all matters pertaining to the public
schools, who informed us it was all q
mistake that no interest was allowed
to accumulate in the State Treasury,
bnt that it was paid out directly to the
School Boards without deduction or
discount. He also stated to Us that
/ MIR. Rutland had addressed him letter,
offering his services IN ascertaining,
from the confused mass of records ex-
tending back to 1s49, whether more in
i terest was not due the several town
q ships in this parish. A few extracts
from this letter, which Mr.. Ealer has
kindly placed at our disposal, will serve
to explain his proposition more clearly
Dear Sir-In the Investigation of the case
which had in tho Supreme Court of La, re-
ported in SO A. s06, discovered that there
are many errors in the books in the Aud tor 4
Office relating 10 the interest fund due the
several townships and BY these errors tns
\ parishes are frequently forced to draw less OF
this interest fund than they are entitled to
besides sometimes. aa was the case 10 thal
snit, the wrong parish draws it,
These books need overhanling and correct
ing by some one who understands how 60 dc
it, aud who will take special interest in seeing
that each township has to its credit GA of the
capital to which it is entitled as the price
Il of the 10th section. When once done, and
that correctly, in many instances the town
ships will draw greatly increased amount o.
annual interest. did this work for onl
township in East Carroll parish and increased
the capital by causing corrections of errors o,
much that now it will draw in all future year
$685. so, whereas before it only drew $277.60
an increase of $500 annual interest.
charge for the same so 0Io of ell tht
back interest or interest for past years / Cal
collect. This involves many legal question:
which may have to be decided by the courts
- and am willing to bring the suits at N,
own expense and charge as above stated one
half OF what recover Of what you have lost
If recover nothing in the way of back inter
est You lose nothing, while do in costs.-if
recover anything yep make half of what ] &c
clear. But you get one substantial benef
for all future years. viz. Correct and in
creased interest for the various townships |
there be errors. would prefer to do thi
service for 10 oIo on the increased interest TO
!, future years, but this would be difficult to &C
complish, while the other proposition is easie
: understood and carried out.
RI NY offer includes the task of enleav
. Orings by suit ii necessary, to force the Audi
j tor ~ place to the credit of each township q
of the 10th section netes whether due, unpai'
. or prescribed, SO that all your township
D will draw interest on these as we'll as th
4 mony already collected aud credited q
IA omitted.
This appears TO be all there is ID il
and to us the offer looks fair enough
! ! and our friend of the Telegraph mus
!, admit that he has been rather hasty il
his frightful charges and denunciatlons
To elucidate this matter more fully, "
. will add that while Art. 233 of the Con
!. stitution fixes the debt due by the Stat
to the school fund at 81 100. .667 so, th
Z total amount placed on the Auditor
!. books to the credit of the different town
ships, up to 1885, was only about $500
600; since 1885, only about $925, ,00(
! thus leaving about $20O, 900 unaccouni
: ed for and consequently nnapportione
z to the various townships which are er
l, |, titled TO this amount of capital, whic
: : would make up tile sum fixed by th
: : Constitution as actually due. Th
E Legislature appropriates annually $45
2 :;3334 40 to pay interest on the debt :
fixed by the Constitution but frol
. 1880 to 1885 only $32, 900 were pal
= = each year to the various townships, an
= since 1885 only $36,79l annually I'll
6 balance of the yearly appropriate
= being transferred to the current scho
q fund. instead of being divided amor
Y tlle several townships, as il would ha'
e been if the data which Mr.. Rutland 9
fersd to procure had been furnished.
Of All of our public school teaehe
te shonld attend the Teachers Institu
q to be held at Lafayette, beginning M'
Ic 8. They have leave OF absence FRO
III Az Darscfi cphnn1 Rnard and will +